Always
by Holywoodunderfed
Summary: Max had just traveled back and saved Arcadia Bay. How can she live with herself when her best friend, her sister, her time traveler warrior is gone? But with a new timeline comes new problems. She may need a new partner in crime. (Told through the perspectives of both Max and Warren)
1. Wake

Hey everyone! I'm real late to the party in so many ways, but I'm finally here! I'm obsessed with Life is Strange. It's affected the way I view life. I thought I would start with my favorite ship with Max and Warren. I don't want to go on a huge rant about this, but I genuinely feel that **Warren is a very misunderstood character** and the fan fics are few and far between. Hopefully, I'm rectifying that to a certain degree. If anyone actually does read this, feel free to tell me what you thought. Thank you.

Also, no hate at all for the Pricefield ship. Warren, Max and Chloe are my favorite characters of Life is Strange and any ideas about writing will immediately come from them.

Thank you, again, so much. I've written stories before but this is my first attempt at fanfiction. This story is going to shift perspectives between Warren and Max, respectively. I'll give a little warning before each section on whose perspective it is. Obviously, this one is from Max's. Something to note is that almost every choice based on this is from performing every "romantic" or "affectionate" action geared towards Warren.

*

I wake up suddenly with a gasp. _How did I get here?_

I found myself at the lighthouse. The sunset was waning with beautiful orange and red colors. Ordinarily, I would be taking out my camera and taking a snapshot with my camera; but suddenly, just as I had done in Jefferson's class on _that_ Monday, I was brought to a vivid dream.

"Nobody would even miss your punk-ass, would they?" I hear Nathan scream.

"Get that gun away from me, you psycho!"

 _Chloe…_

The sound of the gunshot brings me back to reality and I'm staring back at the sunset. Shit, my eyes are tearing up. They're already puffy, and I figure Substitute Max has been crying.

' _I'm so sorry Chloe.'_

I sigh and turn. The lighthouse looks astonishingly… normal. As if the storm never happened. _'This is what Chloe died for? This?'_

The scenery was beautiful, but it is so unfair. How can this world still be beautiful if she's still not here? How am I supposed to… to…?

No, she has to be here. She still has to be alive.

But…. I heard her. I heard her _die._ I heard David Madsen...

 _"Oh god, Chloe… Get on the ground, Prescott! Now! Chloe… please be alive. Dammit, why the hell are you here? Somebody, get me an ambulance."_

I was so helpless, all I could do is sit there crying. _'So much for Super Max.'_ And suddenly, I'm sick of being here. I'm sick of being in this cruel world, that takes everything I love away. It tried to take Kate, it took Chloe so many times from me, it took my love of photography away….

' _No, Max. Stop it. DO NOT think of the Dark Room. Do not imagine the look on Jefferson's face when you asked for one last picture….'_

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it!" I ball my hands into fists and rub my palms into my eyes. "I have to stop thinking about this shit."

I look up into the clear sky. "Why?! Why did you have to take Chloe away! What did she ever do to you! And what about William? About Joyce? Why do you have to be so fucking cruel!"

This is probably the angriest I've ever been. And suddenly, I'm so infuriated at myself. What was the whole point of being able to rewind time if I couldn't stop this shit from happening! I look down to the rocks below. It would be so easy…. I could…

But right as I start to think of Kate, my phone buzzes. "A text, but from who?" I looked around for my bag and for the first time, I notice what I'm wearing.

"Why am I wearing a black dress? And this necklace, where did it come from?" I take off the necklace and examine it in my hand. It's gold, with a doe at the end of the chain. Who would give me a doe necklace?

I put it back on and find my bag. I left it on the bench overlooking the landscape. I dig my phone out of my bag and look at my messages. There are 6 missed calls. Two of them are from my mom, 1 from Kate, and of course 3 of whom from Warren.

 _Warren…_

I received several texts from him too. All of them worried.

" _Max where are you? I was supposed to get you."_

" _Hey Max, the funeral starts in 40 minutes."_

" _I just ran into Kate. She said she can leave her family for a bit to go too. We're trying to find you. Where are you?"_

" _Max, I'm starting to get worried. Call Kate or me please."_

 _Jesus Warren,_ I think to myself. I'm so fucking upset, but I'm slightly happy that I have such good friends with me. Quickly, I send a text to Warren.

' _Srry Warren. I got held up. Im at the lithouse. Can u come get me?'_

After hitting send, I called Kate. She answered after the first ring.

"Max! We've been so worried about you. Warren just got your text. You're at the lighthouse?"

"Yes, I am. I'm so sorry, I… I lost track of time…"

"It's okay, Max. You don't need to apologize. Warren will be there in 5 minutes, okay? Just stay there. Please."

5 minutes? Okay. That gives me some time to figure things out. So, Chloe is... dead. Today is her funeral and she died Monday. I need to know how things have happened since… Everything that has happened.

I looked back at my phone and going through my messages. Joyce first. I need to see how she's doing.

Monday, 2:27 p.m.: _Max, have you heard about what's happened? Is it true? Is my Chloe..."_

Me 2:29 p.m.: _"Joyce im so sorry. The police have been asking me questions. im so confused. I didnt even know Chloe knew Nathan Prescott. Call me plz."_

Joyce on Tuesday 6:12 p.m.: _"Max, honey. Please come to the Two Whales 2nite. I have some things of Chloes you might want."_

Me, Tuesday 6:12 p.m.: " _I'll be there. I hve 2 bring a friend. I dont think I can do this alone. Do u mind?"_

" _Sure I don't mind. Anything you need Max"_

A friend, who did I bring to the Two Whales? And what did I get from Joyce? I need more answers, and looking at my texts isn't going to give me much information. I decide I'll have to look at my journal for answers. I grab my bag and cipher through it. Why are there two notebooks? That doesn't make any sense. Jefferson burned mine, I thought.

Wait a second, when I went back in time from the picture Warren took, I would still have my original notebook. My second notebook must be from this timeline, Substitute Max. " _Let me make sure everything is here first."_

I shift through my original notebook. There's my writing about Monday. Giving Warren his flash drive, talking to Dana about her pregnancy test, seeing Chloe again…

I squeeze my eyes shut. I could still clearly hear her voice say, " _And you're still Max Caulfield."_

I smile despite myself. _Friday, what did I write Friday…"_

I poured it all over again, skipping the parts about the Dark Room… The last thing I wrote was, "Chloe just came back to me, and I'm not going to lose her."

"But did you did lose her, Max! You did, because you're a fuck up! Look at all the amazing things you did with your powers! Chloe's dead and you're the only one who remembers everything…"

Before I can start crying again, my phone rings. It's Warren again.

 _Warren…_

"I'm here, Max! Where are you?"

"I'm sorry, Warren. I was taking a picture beforehand. I'm heading down there now." I scold myself for lying to Warren. I probably shouldn't have lied to him... I should've…

" _I have total faith in you when the time comes. I'm so proud of you Max. How could there be a more important moment in history? And I'm in the middle of it with you? So, thank you for trusting me."_

" _I'm going to start making the right choices from now on, I swear."_

I sighed. How do I even know what the right choice is? Chloe thought so when she sacrificed herself. My Chloe, so brave and so strong. I wish I could be strong, like her.

" _You're hella strong Maxine."_

"Chloe! Where are you?"

" _I'm right here, girlfriend."_

I see her in front of me, but she seems invisible. I try to touch her, but I can't.

" _You can't touch me, Maxine. I'm not really here."_

"Max, never Maxine an-"

" _That's the Max I know. Listen, I'd love to be alive right now and medicate and piss off step-dou-... I mean, David. But I'm not. I'm in your head, Max."_

"Chloe, I miss you so much. I don't... I don't know what to _do_ anymore…"

" _You have to find a way, Max. My mom did it when my dad died, and you can do it too. Besides, we're close to your boyfriend's car. I'm sure he'll answer any questions you have."_

"You're wrong, Chloe. He's so nice and I trust him so much, but we're not... Together..."

" _That's what you think. But remember, I'm the one in_ _your_ _head."_

I paused for moment, thinking about this, wanting to cry even more. I took a deep breath and walked to his car. I notice him in the driver's seat. His face is pale but it brightens up with a smile when he sees me. Surprising myself, I feel the corners of my mouth lift slightly and feel the knots in my stomach loosen a little with the sight of him. Warren gets out of the car and says something that I can't hear. I don't hear him clearly, although he may have asked if I'm okay. I don't know if I'll ever be okay again. The one thing I need right now is this: I bury my head in Warren's chest, trying to choke back sobs. Warren hesitates slightly before folding his arms around me. It feels right suddenly, that it's Warren that's the first person I see in this reality. The reality I'm going to be living in from now on.

 _I'm going to start making the right choices from now on, Warren._


	2. Purpose

Hey everyone, it's me again. No, me inserting previews isn't going to happen too often. But let me explain the format real quick. Like I said in the summary, this story is told through Warren and Max's perspective. Before each section, I've put the respective character before their perspective. For example, when Max narrates you'll see **Max.** Simple.

Then the italicized parts. There are a lot of italics in this story. If something is italicized **without** quotation marks, it's from the character's thoughts. Max or Warren. It could also stand for something important that a character is saying, but that shouldn't happen too often.

If something is italicized **with** quotation marks, this is speech from a memory. For example, if Max was recalling Chloe saying, "I missed you." It would have happened in her past, thereby showing up in the story as, " _I missed you."_ Also, if there is text **with** quotation marks around it, it's most likely coming from Max's imaginary Chloe.

I know it sounds confusing, but I hoped I helped cleared it up. Thank you again for taking the time to read this!

Holywoodunderfed

* * *

 **Warren** :

I look at my watch again for what has to be the 11th time. It reads _5:13_. Max was supposed to be here 13 minutes ago.

 _Don't panic Warren. Maybe she's just running late. 13 minutes late._

It was illogical. I'm supposed to be a man of science. At least, that's what I think I am. It doesn't make sense how I can feel so strongly like I do about Max. There's just something about her that's so.. Unique? I can't even describe it. We like the same things. We're both geeks, we're both nerds. She's such an amazing person with such a great laugh…

I've always been scared. I never knew if I was making the right choices. Before Monday happened, before Nathan shot Max's friend, Chloe, I was prepared to ask her out to _Planet of the Apes._ To be honest? I don't even know if she'd say yes. I don't even know the context of asking her to go with me. All I know is that when I'm around Max, I feel as though I can be myself. I'm used to trying to be invisible. I'm used to pretending to be something else. When I came to Blackwell, I promised myself I'd be myself. It's been hard, but with Max it's like I don't even have to try. For some reason, she makes me feel safe.

I sigh slightly. Scratch that. Sometimes, I try too hard. I can't help but want to impress Max..

" _You need to stop worrying about her Warren. She doesn't like you that way. You're just wasting your time."_

It still hurt when Brooke said that. Yet, she still helped me research the drive in. Although, I think she expected me to ask her to go.

 _Sorry, Brooke. I don't like you like that._ I thought to myself. Max is different from Brooke. Brooke is too expecting and too… bitchy. Is that mean? I guess it's accurate. But she's been a great help. I owe her one.

 _5:20_. I quickly send a text to Max. She hasn't sent me any messages and I'm starting to get worried about her. Well, more than usual. I know that Chloe was her friend, this much she told me, and I'm so devastated for her. I've tried to be there, and sometimes, I feel like I'm helping. Most of the time, she's trying to get away from us. From Kate and I. If there's one good thing that's happened is that Kate and I have gotten closer.

I just wish there was more I could do. The past 4 days have been hell for Max. It helps that we haven't had classes and I made sure Max was aware that I would always be there for her…

Although, I have helped some. At least, I think I have. She asked me to go with her to the Two Whales Tuesday. I left her alone with Joyce when she came, I felt it was better she talk to her personally. After that, the last time I saw Max was Wednesday when she asked Kate and I if we would go to the funeral with her. It was also the last time we spoke.

I don't know what to do. I've texted her several times and she hasn't answered. Which, I sigh, isn't unusual. I should lay off of Max. It's becoming obvious she doesn't like me as more than friends.

 _"Sooner or later, you're going to see that Max doesn't like you."_

 _Thanks, Brooke._ I think sarcastically. I resign myself to be just Max's friend today. I'm not going to try to be witty or funny. I'm just going to be her friend today. Besides, just being friends with Max isn't bad at all. She'll always be amazing. She's always going to be smart, and funny and talented..

"Warren? Warren!?"

Oh, geez. It's Kate. She's probably been trying to get my attention for a few minutes. "I'm sorry, Kate." I say looking up from my phone. "I was just trying to get a hold of her."

"I've been trying to get a hold of her too. Isn't she supposed to be going with you?"

"Yeah she is. I guess if you're trying to get a hold of her, you haven't seen her?"

"Not at all. I've been with my parents all day. They're trying to take me back home after everything that's happened. Come with me to the girl's dorm. We'll see if we can find her real quick."

"That's a good idea, Kate. We should hurry though, we only have about 25 minutes."

We hurry to the girl's dorm. When I first came in here Tuesday, I was disappointed. I thought it would be an oasis from the immaturity of the boys' dorm. There was still graffiti, there was still obscure signs of bullying. It might not be as pronounced, but it was still there in the walls.

We walked in silence, going to Max's room. The door was ajar already and we walked in.

 _A person's room is a portal to the person's mind._ Someone once said that and looking in Max's room, it's completely true. Her room is an almost perfect amalgamation of Max herself. The room screamed photographer and hipster. Her beautiful Polaroids adorned the wall and her guitar rested on her couch. The room was messy with photos of her and Chloe scattered on the floor. Despite myself, I could imagine Max sitting on her floor, playing a sad song on her guitar and looking at these photos. Her plant in the corner was dying. Surreptitiously, I watered her plant as Kate voiced the obvious.

"She isn't here," she said while picking up her new camera off the floor.

"She wouldn't leave her camera here. When we find her, I'll bring it to her," I said taking the camera gently from her hands. As I said that, I received a text. In a state of panic, I quickly looked.

"It's from Max!" I exclaimed. "She's at the lighthouse!" As I said this, Kate's phone rang. While she answered, I told her, "tell her I'm on my way. 5 minutes."

I didn't give her much time to answer as I sprinted out of Max's room and toward the parking lot. I nearly ran into Victoria who gave me an icy glare.

 _Screw her. I'm on a mission._ I managed to get to my car and I scrambled to get to my keys. By some sheer dumb luck, I managed to get the right key in my hand and I turned the ignition. _No rest for the wicked._ I thought as I veered out onto the road that would take me to the lighthouse.

 _Max, why the lighthouse of all places? How did you even get there?_ I looked at the clock, it showed a brazen _5:42_ on the clock. Today had to be my lucky day, as there were no cops on the road while I was very obviously breaking the speed limit.

What am I even going to say to Max when I get there? _"Hi, sorry about your friend getting shot?" "So, uh, what do you think about Jefferson getting arrested?" "Did you see that new Dr. Who episode?" "I wish you would let me help you more?"_

I sighed. _Yeah, Warren. Why don't you just dig your own grave while you're at it?_ I'm probably the worst friend in the world. But, at least I try. Comfort isn't my forte, chemistry is. But if I could make Max smile at least...

"Shit!" I shouted. I was about to miss my turn. I twisted the wheel and stomped on the break as hard as I could, accidentally drifting. "That would've been as cool as fuck if I had meant for that to happen." I shook my head and disbelief and smiled to myself. I quickly parked and checked the time, _5:45._ I had made it in at least 5 minutes.

"I'd make an excellent pizza delivery boy," I joked to myself, smiling. My smile evaporated when I saw her. There was no doubt about it, even in her mourning clothes, Max still was gorgeous. Her dress suited her perfectly and her short hair looked wind blown which just added to her beauty. The doe necklace looked magnificent around her neck. Despite myself, I smiled towards her. I was surprised when she partially smiled back.

I stepped out of the car and went around to open the door for her. It wasn't planned, I just reacted. I was stunned though, when she walked straight towards me and buried her face in my chest. I was taken aback. But after a few moments, my Grandpa Rudy's advice came to my head.

 _"When you hug a woman you care about, hold her firmly and gently. Like you never want her to go, yet if you hold her too hard you'll break her."_

For once, I was grateful to my family. I wrapped my arms around her. My right going around her back and my left going around the back of her neck. After a few moments, she wrapped her arms around my waist and held me back.

And then, I felt... blissful. I know I should've felt awkward, or anything else. It doesn't make any sense, but the thought of taking her to a funeral didn't even occur to me anymore. Suddenly it was just her and I on this beautiful day. The sun setting, the wind blowing through our hair. This was the girl that I always dreamed of. This was the girl that was so beautiful to me. Even if she doesn't feel the same way, I'm always going to be there for her. If I only get this one moment, then I'm going to make this count.

"I'm always going to be here for you, Max."

After I say this, she breaks our embrace gently. But she holds onto the crook of my elbow with her right hand and looks at me. She looks into my eyes. I noticed her eyes before, but I never noticed just how blue they were. How deep and mesmerizing they are. She's looked into my eyes before. In a way that says, _I'm paying attention to you, you dork_. But she's never looked at me like this. She's staring into my eyes like her entire attention is on me. Like there is no one else in the world. Like she's searching for something. Her stare is so intense, that I almost want to look away, but I can't. I won't. Instead, with my eyes, I try to answer. I try to answer the question that I don't even know she's asking.

I must have answered it correctly because she whispers, "Right". It's almost too quiet for me to hear. But she must have said it because she steps into the car.

"Pleased to be your chauffeur," I stupidly comment. I blush a dark shade of red. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._ I think to myself as I get in the drivers seat.

I sneak a glance at Max, and despite everything, she's smiling.

 **Max** :

I sit in front of the picture. It's of Warren and myself. Warren has the black eye, and he's obviously drunk. But he has that smile. He's literally glowing with happiness. With everything that's going on, the only thing he had his attention on was me.

Me? I was so distracted. Chloe, Nathan, the End of the World, the Dark Room, David, everything was on my mind. But when Warren suggested a picture, _for posterity_ , I had to take it. Now that I'm looking at it, I realize I didn't take it just for Warren's sake. I took it for ours. I wanted to capture a moment. I wanted to be normal as well. If I was going to a party in a normal situation, I realize then I would go with Warren. Chloe? I love her, but she'd be too erratic. I'd lose her to the noise. Warren? He'd stay with me. Because I know, when he sees me, there's no one else in the room.

I look up from the photo. There's something I have to do. Suddenly, there is no one else in the room. It's just Warren. The hero. The one who has brought Joyce, Frank, and everyone else supplies. For the first time, the only one I see is him. This time, I notice him. I notice his jawline. I notice the curl in his hair. I notice just how much taller he is than me. His cheekbones. His eyes. Holy shit, _his eyes._

I find myself telling him everything. My powers, the storm, Chloe, Jefferson, everything. I'm overpowered by the idea that I can trust Warren. And in his eyes, I can see that I'm the only thing he's thinking about. For the first time, the feeling is mutual. Suddenly, I have to show him how I feel.

First, I hug him. _"You're one of my heroes."_ I tell him.

I look at the photo again. I start to focus... Then... I stop.

 _No. I need this._

I raise my hand, and I rewind. I don't care. I tell him everything again. But this time, this time, I want more. I take his face in my hands and I bring him close. _"For luck"_ , I tell him.

All I felt was electricity. It was like a live wire. The moment our lips touched energy flew through him and me and rocked me to my chore. The hair on my neck stood up, and the only thing that existed was him and I. The world was falling apart. If there was one boy I could kiss in this world, it would be from Warren, the boy I cared about the most.

 _"Max, before you go, I just want to say..."_

 _"I know, Warren."_

I can't tell him how I feel, because I don't even know myself.

 **Max** :

"Pleased to be your chauffeur."

 _My god, Warren._ I smile despite myself. I could always count on Warren to make me smile. I sigh, pressing my head against the glass. _How does this happen? How does everything break and fall apart, yet come together like this?_

I wish that Chloe was here. She would know all the answers. God, Chloe. I sigh and fall back against the seat. I shut my eyes tight to try to block out all the white noise around me. I just wish the world would stop moving so fast.

"Max? You left this in your dorm room..."

I open my eyes and look at Warren. He's giving me a camera. Cautiously, I take it from him as he starts to drive to the Arcadia Bay Cemetery. I turn it over, it looks like my regular Polaroid camera except...

I spot the marking on the side. _"Property of W. Price"._

How did I get a hold of William's camera? In this timeline, Chloe would've never have given it to me... right? I look at Warren, he has to have some answers, if not all of them.

"Thank you. Uh, Warren...? I need to ask you some things."

"You can ask me anything, Max."

"Okay, but you have to promise me one thing."

"Of course."

"I can't explain anything yet. All the questions I need to ask, all the reasons for it. I promise you that I will explain, I just don't know when. But I need to ask you these things and I need you to tell me everything as if you were telling them to someone else. I need you to promise you won't ask any questions, okay? Just to answer what I'm asking, and that's it?"

"Uh," he stammers, unsure, "Of course, Max. I'm a little confused, but I trust you."

 _Of course you do, you big goof._ I think to myself. You have to be the most trusting person I know. I suddenly love that about him. I love that fact he's so open to everything, so trusting in me. Maybe it's just the scientist in him.

 _Shut up about the "loving that about him, Max", you're just friends... right?_

I look at him. He's supposed to be paying attention to the road, but he keeps sneaking glances at me. God, it's cute when he's worrying about me like that.

 _Cute?_

I ignore my thoughts and take a deep breath. "Okay.."

"First, after Chloe was... shot... what happened right after?"

"Oh, you're serious. Uh, right after, the head of Security, David Madsen, had the police called. Nathan was arrested and taken in. The police took Max... uh... you in for questioning about what you saw. You were really upset... Am I doing this right?"

"You're doing it perfectly. Go on. What happened after Nathan was arrested?"

"He confessed to everything. He said he killed that Rachel Amber girl. He said it was an accident and he did it for Mr. Jefferson. I guess he said that Jefferson mentored him and that he kept a room under his shed or something and he would kill girls... They even brought Kate in, saying that he... uh.. took photos of her..."

"What happened to Jefferson?"

"You were there, Max. He was arrested for murder, kidnapping, accessory to murder..."

"Wowser," I breathed. This was hella confusing, and my head was starting to pound.

"What happened to my other camera?"

"You don't remember? Kate and I went to your dorm. You got mad. You said that you... I've never seen you this angry... It scared me, Max..." His voice broke. I wanted to hug him, but I waited for him to continue. "You were frustrated. You blamed yourself saying that if you had talked to her in that entire time, or if you did something like pulled the fire alarm, then maybe she would still be alive today. You broke your camera in a fit of rage. You said, _'All to take a picture of this fucking butterfly!'_ , then you ripped the butterfly picture in half."

I closed my eyes tightly after that. I started to cry. I don't even know if I have my powers, but even if I did, now I can't even go back. I can't save her anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Max." Warren put a hand on my shoulder. Without even thinking, I lean in to him and put my head on his shoulder, and I cry. He holds me around the shoulders, still driving.

"This is dangerous," I whisper, snuffling snot up my nose.

"I don't care. We're making decent time," Warren lies and slows down.

"I'm sorry," I say separating us, "I still have more questions. Remember the promise?"

"Don't insult me, Max." Warren's words startle me. It's the exact same thing he said when I first tried to tell him about my powers on that Monday.

"How did I get the camera?"

"I guess Joyce texted you Tuesday. She said she had some of Chloe's stuff she wanted to give you. She said she wanted you to have Chloe's dad's camera, along with some photos of you two. When I went to your dorm today, the photos were scattered on the floor, like you were sitting there looking at them before you went to the lighthouse. How did you get there anyway?"

"Warren..?"

"Right, the promise. My bad." He chuckled nervously. I had to admit, it was kind of funny. I didn't chuckle, but it did relieve some tension in my body.

"What about this necklace?" I said, fingering it between my fingers.

Warren, finally getting in the groove of this little game, answered immediately with his amazing smile, "That was Kate and I. You were upset, and Kate noticed that in class sometimes you sketch. One day, when she was upset, you sketched her a picture of a doe. It was something she told me the day before, and when I went to the mall for comics I spotted a kiosk with that necklace on display for $40. Kate and I chipped in together. We hoped it would cheer you up.

"We gave it to you Wednesday," his smile all but disappeared, "you were... distracted to say the least. But you did thank us and gave us a quick hug. I'm glad you're wearing it today."

I could tell he was sugarcoating it, at least a little. But I didn't push it. In fact, I was grateful. It's so pretty. "Warren," I said grabbing his wrist delicately. "I didn't say it before, but seriously thank you, and Kate for being there for me. I'm sorry if I was distracted or didn't give you my full attention."

"You don't have to apologize, Max. I understand you are going through a hard time."

"You don't know how hard, Warren. What happened after Wednesday?"

"For you? I don't know. I haven't spoken to you since."

"Why?"

He smiled. It was a shy smile. A sad smile. A smile that says that he wishes that it was different, but this is how it was. "Whenever Kate or I tried to reach out for you, you always said you wanted to be alone. Kate would invite you to tea, I'd ask if you wanted to watch a movie, and you would say you didn't want anyone around. Kate and I understood, you needed your space."

"I'm sorry, Warren. That's a shitty thing for me to do. To kick you out all the time."

"Thank you, Max. I'm just grateful you asked us to come today."

Right, the funeral. How am I ever going to make it through this?

"Listen, Warren. Is there anything else you can tell me? Like something with Jefferson, Nathan, anything?"

"Uh, yeah. They're thinking of dropping the charges against Jefferson..."

"THEY'RE WHAT?" I shouted, shocked.

Warren sighed. "I know. The thing is: they don't actually have any evidence on Jefferson. All they have is Nathan's word and Nathan isn't the most reliable source. The Prescott's have tried to issue the insanity plea on Nathan's behalf and if that goes through, then it looks good for Jefferson. There aren't even any witnesses against Jefferson, but people saw Nathan with Rachel and you of course saw Nathan and Chloe." Warren took a deep breath.

I took one as well, trying to get a hold of my anger. "What's going to happen?"

"According to the papers, the judge says that it sounds too perfect for Jefferson. Coming to be a teacher for Blackwell sounds like a perfect cover and taking advantage of any mental issues Nathan might have or not have and setting him up to fail... well, he doesn't want such a high profile case thrown out. He's apparently given police 24 hours to gather evidence or else Jefferson walks free."

"Wowser..." I breathe. It seemed apropos because this was a lot to soak in. Suddenly, I was furious with the world. How could it let Jefferson walk free? How could this happen?

 _"Maybe this is what you are meant to do, Max!"_ I could hear Chloe's voice in my head. _"It's time to go all Mad Max and become a badass! It's up to you to take down Jeffershit!"_

 _How am I supposed to do that without my partner in time?_

" _Easy, Maximus Prime, you get a new partner. Preferably a cute, smart, geek partner."_

I smiled a little. Maybe, with a little hope... But first:

"Warren, what do you think?"

"Me," Warren seemed a little flustered. Now, he had that look on his face. I remembered that day I helped him with his experiment. He had the same look on his face. The same expression of complete focus, like he was trying to solve an intricate puzzle. I love that look, that concentration. The way he zoned out and his jaw tensed.

"I never trusted Jefferson. He seemed so aloof, so above it all. And now that I think about it, he said some pretty cryptic things in his lectures. I don't see anyone doing those... things... but if anyone, it would be him."

I sighed with relief. At least I can count on him not trusting Jefferson. I know I can trust Warren, more than anyone else. I told him my secret once, would he believe me if I told him now?

"Warren... I... Need to tell you something."

"It'll have to wait, Max. We're here."

 _6:00. Say what you will about Warren, but he can get you there right on schedule. I wonder if you would've gotten there on time if you "Went Ape..."_

What are you doing, Max? You're here at a funeral and all you're thinking about is what would've happened if you went on a date with Warren?

 _..Date..?_

Warren opened the car door for her. "We're going to miss the ceremony, c'mon."

"Sorry, Warren. I was, uh, lost in thought."

Warren nodded, he was suddenly solemn. He started walking into the grave site, with me following suit. Kate was already approaching the casket, she said some words of comfort to Joyce and David. Warren stood to the side, giving me space between him and Joyce.

 _Thank you, Warren._ I thought moving past him. I starred, transfixed at the bronze coffin in front of me. The preacher was saying words, but for all I know, he was speaking Sumerian. I had no idea what he was saying, and I didn't care. He never knew Chloe. He never knew how amazing she was. How much of a kind heart she had. How she cried when we were 8 and we watched the first Air Bud movie together. He wasn't there when she described her first kiss, in vivid detail. He wasn't there when she danced on top of her bed. He wasn't there when she convinced me to go swimming at 3 o'clock at night. He wasn't there for that selfie the next morning. He wasn't there when I hugged her goodbye for the last time. I'm so lost in thought, that I feel lost myself. I step closer to Warren, hoping he can somehow rub off on me.

The butterfly flew on the coffin. That same butterfly that began this entire affair. I looked up, and I could see her again. Again, she was transparent.

 _"Shit, this is the turnout? I would've thought at least, like, 50 more people would show. Goes to show how lame this loser town is."_

 _They didn't need to, Chloe. Nobody loved you like we did._

 _"I suppose you're right. Hell, even step-ass loved me in his own way."_ Chloe took a drag from.. Is that a..?

 _Chloe, are you smoking?_

 _"What, you didn't think I could smoke even in your head, Max? I could do almost anything I want. Hell, I could kiss your ape man..?"_

 _Please, don't do that. And please, don't call him that._

 _"Ooh, I see you're defending him now? Anyway, let's get down to bidness. What will you do about Jeffershit?"_

 _I don't know yet, Chloe. I don't even know how I'm even breathing right now._

 _"Maximum Ride, what have I told you? Remember when we were swimming? I told you you were strong. And you are. You're the strongest person I've ever met. And you don't have to be alone. You have your Ape Man Warren, and you have your Kate. You're not alone, Max. You can do it."_

 _Chloe... I don't want to lose you. My friends are great, but I need you... You don't understand..._

 _"Yes, Max. I do. Although I'm not here physically, it doesn't mean I'm not with you. Always."_

 _Always?_

 _"Always. You saved my life so many times that I lost count. We had a week together that I will never forget, Max. But you're here for a reason, and that reason is not to wallow around in self-pity. I think right now you have 3 options. 1: You can medicate, like me. Which I wouldn't recommend right now because step-shit would get hella pissed at you. 2: You can kiss that boy toy you got there next to you. Which I highly recommend, just not right now. You don't wanna be that person who kisses over my dead body. If I was alive and taking a nap, then I'd say hell yes. Or 3: You can take down Jeffershit. Which I very highly recommend. Hell, higher than I am now."_

 _Chloe... I will. Thank you, for everything._

 _"No problem, Mad Max. I will always be here for you. Remember what you promised? You're going to make the right decisions from now on."_

 _Chloe? I love you._

 _"I love you too, Max."_

 _Always._

 _"Always."_

With that, Chloe left. And suddenly, the casket was in the ground and the grave was dug. We were walking down the hill, towards the car. Kate was talking to me.

"Max?"

"Yeah? Sorry, I was just... saying one last word to Chloe.."

"I understand. I was just saying that my parents are making me stay with them for awhile before going back to Blackwell. I'd love to stay with you guys but I can't..."

"It's okay, Kate. I understand. Please, don't feel guilty. As soon as you come back, we'll have tea, okay?"

"Thank you, Max. And thank you again, for asking me to come."

"No, Kate. Thank you for supporting me and Joyce. And thank you for the necklace. It really means a lot."

"It was my, well, our pleasure. I'll see you around, Max. I have to go."

"Bye, Kate." We hugged and it felt good. I'll miss her, but, I'll still have Warren. In speaking of which, him and I walked silently to his car.

"Max? You were saying something as we got out. What was it?"

I got in the car and motioned for him to get in. After he got in and shut the door, I turned to face him. I realize I know what I have to do, and I have to start by telling the truth. I looked him in the eyes. Just like the other Friday, his deep brown eyes were locked on me. I knew that, at least to him, there was no one else in the world. It is a look I love, and I found myself spilling everything without hesitation.

"It all started on Monday...


	3. Stay

**Warren:**

"… I had this vision in Jefferson's class. It was really fucking vivid. A tornado and this huge storm was coming right for Arcadia Bay. I was at the lighthouse, but then a boat struck the lighthouse and debris fell. I… I couldn't move, but I woke up before I died. From my vision. Then, I had to go to the bathroom to, well, splash water on my face before..."

She trailed off, but I knew what she was implying. Sometimes, it's hard. When you become a child prodigy and become "the next best thing" people can get jealous. Especially when you go up two grades, at 16 nonetheless, to go to Arcadia Bay's finest school, Blackwell Academy. The experiences I've had in school has taught me how to be invisible. They've taught me that I can't really trust a lot of guys, hence why it's so easy to see Jefferson do those things.

It's much easier to be friends with girls. I settle more comfortably with them because as a guy it's less pressure. With guys, it feels like a competition on who is the most masculine. It's tiring and I'm obviously not the most masculine guy at Blackwell. That's where amazing people like Max and Alyssa and Kate come in. They're understanding and compassionate, unlike Zachary or Logan.

So, I can completely understand needing a timeout before the breakdown.

"I understand, Max. Please go on," I smiled reassuringly. Max nodded then and started to continue.

"I had just washed my face, when Nathan barges in talking to himself. I hide, but then Chloe goes in and talks to him about drugs and whatever. He pulls the gun and accidentally shoots her. I cry out and raise my hand, and then..."

I'd heard this all before, from multiple people sadly. But what's this part about a vision? And raising her hand? She hasn't told me anything about that...

 **BANG. BANG. BANG.**

The sound of knocking on my window startled Max and I. In all actuality, it was just a few quick raps on my window, but to us it sounded about as loud as gun shots. When they knocked, I jumped, hitting my head on the ceiling and Max grabbed my arm in panic.

"David?" Max said, relieved. It sounded with that one word like she had history with Mr. Madsen. Which was strange, considering Wednesday she mentioned how awkward he made her.

Mr. Madsen motioned for me to roll down the window. I did, and he started to speak to us. It was even more strange, because I'd never seen him like this. Instead of being his usual aggressive self, he was solemn and quiet. I realized just how much his step-daughter meant to him.

"Ms. Caulfield, Mr. Graham, I… uh… just wanted to thank you for coming today. I know it must've been hard for you, Ms. Caulfield."

"It was, Da-Mr. Madsen. But I knew I had to come, to pay respects to her and be there for Joyce. And call me Max, you don't have to call me, Ms. Caulfield."

"Of course, well, her and I really appreciate it. Joyce and I also wanted to tell you that… we're pretty upset today, for obvious reasons. We decided that to have the wake tomorrow at our house. Besides, it's supposed to rain awfully at any time. We want everyone to get home safe."

I looked at Max after he said this to gauge her reaction. She seemed relieved and distracted at the same time, if that's even possible. I looked back towards Mr. Madsen and looked at the sky outside. I was surprised by how suddenly dark and cloudy it was.

"That's okay, David. We had plans at Blackwell anyway."

 _We did?_

"Oh, of course," Mr. Madsen said with a tight expression. "I was thinking that you could follow me home and make sure you got back in one piece. It should rain at any time… and… I just think it would be safer that way."

"That's okay, Mr. Madsen. There's no need. Warren's a great driver. Aren't you, Warren?" I looked at Max and she looked back at me, imploring me with her eyes to go along with her. _Why is she so desperate to go without Mr. Madsen following us?_

"Uh, yeah. I've had my license for quite a while now. I've even driven to Seattle. It can get really bad there…"

"I'm sure you're a fine driver, Mr. Graham. It's just… there's so much death surrounding Arcadia Bay. Rachel, Chloe… I just don't want any more death. Joyce thinks of you, Max, as her other daughter," As if on cue, the rain starts pouring. The rain was heavy, almost tear sized. It was already getting a little hard to see. Mr. Madsen opened the umbrella he had in his non-knocking hand which covered him, mostly. "I don't want to risk Joyce losing another daughter in any way."

Max looked at me, her eyes cloudy and her lips tight. I could tell she already knew what I was going to say.

"That sounds like a good idea, Mr. Madsen. I'll follow you back. It looks like it's already really bad."

I could hear Max sigh next to me. I felt awful, like I just denied her something important. I watch her stick her hand out. I don't know what she's doing or what she expected to happen, but it's obviously nothing that she wanted. She slumped in her seat looking defeated and she resigns to looking out the window.

 _Does she really hate Mr. Madsen that much?_

"Okay, Mr. Graham." He said, sounding relieved. "And, please, call me David."

He turned to leave to his car, but before he could a quiet voice from the passenger side stopped him. "David…?"

Something was wrong, and David wasn't hearing her. Before I could stop myself, I got his attention by saying, "David, Max needs you!" I blush immediately. _Max needs you? How childish could you possibly be Warren?_

It was stupid, but it was effective. David came back. "Yes, Max?" If he was annoyed by us, I couldn't tell.

"Warren mentioned that Jefferson might be let go. Is that true?"

David sighed. He hesitated a few seconds, as if he wasn't sure whether he should tell us or not. "I shouldn't really know this much, but yes. As you may have saw on the news, unless the idiotic police force in this godforsaken town can provide evidence of Jefferson being the mastermind by 4:00 p.m. tomorrow, then he will be released. Since I'm not on the force, they won't let me investigate his Dark Room at all because it's labeled as a crime scene. Though, I do know that the police don't like to be up early in the morning. I plan to go there around 6 or 7 in the morning and checking myself. I'm bound to find something." He finishes this with a finality that for some reason assures me. Yes, he's finally going to ensure that psychopath is behind bars. I smile delicately at Max, but the look on her face isn't one of happiness. It's one of determination. There's a look in her eyes that honestly scares me.

David must see this look on her face, because he suddenly becomes Hagrid from Harry Potter. "I shouldn't have told you that." He quickly leaves us. The rain is pounding so hard, that I don't even know if he could hear me if I were to call him back. I do see, however, David's car light up as he turns and drives away. I turn the ignition and start to slowly follow David.

"Are you okay, Max?"

Max looks at me. There isn't much light, but somehow, I can clearly see the intense blue in her eyes. "Warren, no matter what, we have to go to Jefferson's Dark Room tomorrow."

"But Da-Mr. Madsen is taking care of that. I'm sure he can handle himself."

"He doesn't know Jefferson like I do. Warren, I have to do this. I'm the only one that can. Do you trust me?"

"I trust you, Max. I always will. Now, you were saying something earlier?"

"I'll explain when we get back to Blackwell. You should concentrate on following David. This storm is intense."

"Okay." _Max, I really hope you have an explanation for this. I'm worried about you. Why do you think you're better suited than David to find this evidence?_ "I'm just worried about you."

At first, I think I said something wrong. She doesn't answer for a while. I sneak a glance at her and she's back to fingering the doe on her necklace. She seems lost… I wish I could do something to help make her comfortable.

"I know, Warren," she whispers.

We ride in thoughtful silence before I finally park in the school's parking lot. I grab my backpack in the back. It has an umbrella in it, as well as some homework I should probably get done. I open it up and take the umbrella out then sling the backpack over my shoulder.

"Here," I try to hand it to Max. I don't want her getting soaked.

She looks at me in the eyes. "Can you walk me to my dorm instead? That way we can both stay dry?"

I blink and swallow. I could feel heat rising to my cheeks. _How could I be so stupid?_ "Of course," I say trying to smile my embarrassment away. Max nods and I get out of the car and walk over to her side and open her door. Through my peripheral vision, I spot David smoking a cigarette and crying. I feel so bad for him, but I think if I mention it to Max it will only make her upset.

I debate whether to help her out of the car, and I decide to extend my hand. Max takes it and gives me a nod in gratitude and steps out of the car. Max stands by me, the umbrella over both of us. The rain slows down and the light of the streetlamps provide slightly better illumination. Max has a distracted look, but she doesn't let go of my hand. She slowly laces her fingers into mine, as if asking for permission.

I let her, and suddenly our hands are intertwined and I give her a gentle squeeze. Max and I sigh. Hers, I assume, is in relief. Mine is a bizarre mix of emotions. I'm so surprised she wants to hold my hand, but I'm even more confused. _What does it mean?_

 _Wait, Warren, remember what you promised? Just be her friend. Friends hold hands all the time. She's upset. She lost a sister, she went to a funeral, and she's obviously upset about the Jefferson case._

So, I put it out of my mind, and we slowly walk to the dormitories. They are right next to each other, but we cut to the girl's dorms. We go up to the front doors, but I'm surprised to see Ms. Grant there.

"Hello, Ms. Caulfield, Mr. Graham. Not exactly a wonderful night for a stroll."

"No, not exactly," I say to Ms. Grant, hoping she doesn't see me blush. It's obvious she's noticed us holding hands.

"I'm sorry, Warren, but you do know the rules, especially with the chaos of this week. You'll have to return to your dorm and wish Max goodnight."

I nod sadly and start to let go of Max's hand, but she doesn't let go. She squeezes my hand in a way that says, _I got this_.

"Ms. Grant, do you still have that petition?"

"My, my, Max. How did you know about my little petition? I decided to hold off on it for a few days because of how traumatic this week has been for the student body. But with that trouble comes other problems. Our Chief of Security, David Madsen, has petitioned even harder for security cameras to be installed, but I assume if you already know about my little petition than you already know what it's about."

"Yes, I do, Ms. Grant. Through everything that's happened recently, I still believe we don't have to sacrifice our privacy for our security. Although, signing a petition is a very arduous task, and I'm not in the right frame of mind. I don't know if you remember but Warren and I were just at a funeral for my friend, Chloe," she takes a second. I don't know whether because she's upset or for dramatic effect, but it works. "I want to sign, Ms. Grant. But just for tonight, can Warren come up with me in my room?

Nothing will happen, I promise, but it's miserable tonight and I don't want to be alone... We will both sign your petition right now if you like."

Ms. Grant looks at her and she looks at me. She looks as if she's trying to decide whether to trust us or not. _She must know that Max is blackmailing her. Is this petition that important?_

She sighs, "I suppose I can look past it this time. For grieving purposes. Monday, I expect to see you two in class, and we'll talk about my petition then, okay?"

"Thank you, Ms. Grant. We'll see you Monday," Max said, relief evident in her voice. I pull down the umbrella and I follow her in the empty girl's dorm hallway. Once it's safe, I can't help myself,

"How did you do that? How did you know she had a petition?"

"I'll explain once we're safe in my room."

I nod and swallow the lump in my throat. We walk into Max's room and turn on her lamp at her bedside. It's time I get that elusive explanation.

 **Max:**

" _Chloe, I can't make this choice!"_

" _You have to, Max. You're the only one who can."_

I swallow the lump in my throat unsuccessfully and take Warren's hand as he helps me step out of the car. The rainstorm is assaulting my mind with memories of the past. Or is it the future? I don't know anymore, and I'm so tired of all the sudden. Almost instinctively, I lace Warren and my fingers together. He lets me and I'm so grateful for him. He's keeping me grounded and without him… I'd be lost. If I'm not already.

I sigh without meaning to. Warren's hand is warm in mine. It's the only part of me that's warm right now. The rain isn't touching me much because of the umbrella over our heads, but the wind from the rainstorm made goosebumps rise on my arms and legs. I need to get inside and get warm before hypothermia hits me.

My bag slumps on my shoulder. I don't even remember grabbing it; I just hope I put William's camera in there. I feel around with my right hand, and yes, it's there. I look up just in time before we run into Ms. Grant. It took a little bit of effort to focus, but I managed to convince her to let Warren come in with me.

We go into my dorm room and I flick on the lamp. Thankfully, Lisa has been freshly watered. Looks like Substitute Max is a better baby mama than I am. I turn around and look at Warren. From what he's told me, I know he's been in here before, but he's standing awkwardly.

"You do know you can sit down, right? I smile and ask.

Poor Warren. He seems genuinely surprised when he can sit. I guess Substitute Max had been kind of a bitch. "Warren, you look uncomfortable."

"I kinda am. The suit is new and sadly it's not the best armor. In fact, it's kinda itchy."

I blush a little. "You look handsome in it, Warren. Do you have a change of clothes?"

"I do, in my backpack. But I don't think I should change in here…" He blushes a deep tornado red and I smile reassuringly.

"Well, I'm going to change out of this dress into warmer clothes. I'll go to the bathroom. You can stay in here and change. That way, we don't run the risk of any girls seeing you."

Warren considers this for a bit. I guess he realizes the practicality of my suggestion because he agrees. I grab my white doe T-shirt to match the doe necklace and my jeans. I debate on the gray jacket and decide for it to cover my cold arms. As I turn to leave, Warren mumbles after me.

"Max, you look so beautiful in that dress. I'm sorry. I'll... uh… see you soon."

"Thank you, Warren," I blush. "And don't apologize. Just say what you think, okay?"

"I promise, I will. Now go, Maximillion Pegasus, so I can get changed." He smiles good naturedly and I step out into the dark hallway.

I close the door. For some reason, I start thinking about Warren changing… I shake my head violently, trying to cleanse myself of those thoughts.

 _What are you doing, Max? Get changed, tell Warren, tell him to go back to his dorm. Then go get dirt on Jefferson with Warren and his car and save the day. Simple. Don't confuse anything. You're just friends._

I yawn, loudly. _Okay, maybe get some sleep. Definitely need sleep. All that timeline travel is exhausting._

As I think this, thunder crashes and a lightning strike illuminates the hallway. _Shit, shit, shit. What if you didn't fix anything? What if the storm is still happening? What if Chloe… died… for nothing?_

I'm breathing heavily and I find myself in the bathroom. The urge to splash water on my face is nearly overwhelming but I manage to go without it. I'm close to hyperventilating, something I haven't done in a long time. _Jesus, how am I ever going to sleep tonight? I can barely breathe after a lightning strike._

I change slowly, using the act of changing to distract myself. The image of Jefferson firing his gun at Chloe's unaware skull is going to drive me insane. I try to think of anything else. Kate's bunny, Pompidou, Samuel feeding squirrels, kissing Warren…

That's the one that works, despite myself. And by the time I come back to reality, I'm starring at the mirror. I look… wild. Wild and tired and distracted. My hair is windblown, my lips are dry, and there are bags under my eyes. My eyes themselves are cloudy and unfocused. I check my phone. There's a weather update.

Frantically, I unlock my phone and check for any signs of unusual weather. Warren didn't say anything about freak weather like snow, but it isn't a bad idea to double check. Sure enough, the freakiest amount of weather is this thunderstorm. There aren't any possibilities of tornadoes, not that means much, but no one has seen one. I breathe a little easier, but it's still going to be a long night.

I hurriedly make leave of the bathroom. I fast walk to my room to avoid any more thoughts. I wish I _could_ physically run away from my thoughts, but to no avail. I find myself in front of my door. I knock gently and Warren says quietly, "I'm decent."

I walk in, Warren is on his phone playing some sort of game. He is back to his usual attire of jeans and a cat T-shirt that says, "Property of Schrodinger". I sit beside him and he locks it. He puts it in his pocket and turns to look at me with a reassuring smile. I sigh and grab my notebook, I may need it. "Where was I?"

"You were in the bathroom and you raised your hand..."

"Oh, right." I look at him and note how close we are. It's a friendly distance and it's comfortable, yet close. If I wanted to, I could easily get up and walk away, or I could easily grab him and hold him.

"When I held up my hand, time suddenly froze and then it reversed and I found myself back in Jefferson's class. He was giving the exact same lecture as he was before I left for the bathroom."

"Wait, so when you raised your hand that happened. Is that what you were trying to do in the car earlier?"

I look at him for a bit. He can be very observant when he isn't oblivious. "Yes, that was what I was trying. I seem to have lost my powers."

"Interesting," he said in his tone of voice he uses when he's discussing something scientific. "Go on, please."

So, after a deep breath, I told him everything. I left out some things. Like the kiss we shared and me writing on his board. And things Brooke said to me. Also, all times I saved Alyssa. He didn't need to hear that. To his credit, Warren sat there the entire time with his attention never wavering. _It must be from all the movies he's watched._

He didn't ask a whole lot of questions. It seems like he's trying to level this all out in his mind, make sense of this. It isn't until I show him the two photos that he truly reacts. First, I show him the photo in the science lab.

"A black eye? That's... wow… I've never had a black eye. And… you said… this was from Nathan?"

"Yes, Nathan. You protected me from him. He knew I was in the bathroom and he came after me. You got the black eye from him."

"Max, this is a lot to process."

I sigh. "I'm not even done yet." I show him the photo of the two of us from the End of the World Party.

"Max?"

"This is from Thursday at the End of the World Vortex Club Party. You went and you got drunk on half a beer. You wanted a photo of us together and…. It saved me. Because of you, Chloe was able to tell David what was happening and he saved me in the Dark Room."

"Max, I've never been to a Vortex Party, and I've never had a black eye. I… I have no other choice to believe you. But this tornado vision you had, did it come true?"

"Yes," I whispered looking down.

"Chaos Theory," he whispered. "How did you stop it?"

"It was Chloe. She…" I stopped, tears starting to flow. Warren gently lifted my chin and wiped a tear away.

"Max, if it's too hard…"

"No, I…" I sniffled and took a deep breath. I looked down at the floor again, I didn't think I could look Warren in the eyes during this. "I want to tell you how brave she is. She thought that the storm was because I saved her so many times. She said her fate was to die, and I've been delaying that. She wanted me to go back, and let her be shot so everyone else could live."

"Holy shit," Warren breathed, looking at me.

"I was selfish. I wanted to let the storm happen to save her. I love Chloe. She's like my sister. I wish she was here right now. She was so full of spirit, so lifelike, so …. obnoxious," I said smiling. "But I am so selfish, while she thought of everyone else. She forced me to think. Joyce, David, Kate, _you_ , I knew I couldn't do it. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. So, I came back, to do what I always do… sit and watch and do nothing."

Warren took a few seconds to digest this. I became disgusted with myself, if he wasn't here, I don't know what I'd do to myself. "Max, look at me."

I looked up slowly, trying to prepare myself for what he'll say.

"Max, I believe you. The rational part of me says I shouldn't, but this explains how different you've acted today as opposed to this week. You didn't deserve any of the stupid shit that happened to you, but you know what? Max Caulfield, you're still here. You're the strongest person I've ever met and I'm just happy you trust me with this. You're my hero, Max. No one will ever know what you sacrificed for them, but I'll say it for them: thank you. And thank you, for trusting me."

I'm taken aback by his words. I almost want to accuse him, but instead, I do it mentally. _How? How are you always so trusting? How come no matter what timeline, I know you're always there for me? How are you so damn consistent?_

 _How do I deserve you?_

As I stare into his kind brown eyes, I start to cry again. He folds his arm around me, and I'm taken back to that Tuesday when he held me the exact same way after poor Kate tried to end her life. How is it that Warren is always there?

He's whispering sweet nothings, trying to get me to calm down. He's so gentle and patient, I know that if he'd let me he'd hold me all night while I cried. But I'm so goddamn tired. He lets me slump down and lays my head on a pillow. He retrieves his backpack and slings it over his shoulder. He grabs my blanket and gently covers me. My eyes are barely open and I'm so exhausted that he looks like an angel. He silently turns and opens the door and flips off the lamp.

"Goodnight, Max. I'll pick you up tomorrow."

My eyelids start to droop, but I suddenly find myself muttering…

"Stay."


	4. Free

**Warren:**

"What was that?" I whispered, barely daring to breathe. I took a cautious step back into the room. I was stuck there, frozen in time.

Through thickly lidded eyes, Max muttered slightly louder, "Stay."

It still took me a few seconds. I couldn't believe it. Whether it was luck or an Act of God or something else, Max wanted me to stay. _Take a deep breath, Warren._ I took a moment and breathed. Once… twice… _Okay. I'm ready._

I stepped forward and slowly set my backpack on the ground. "Okay. I'll take the couch," I whispered delicately.

"No," she whispered. She lifted her left hand and patted the bed with it. "Here."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Nervousness, anxiety and excitement coursing through my veins. I literally pinched my wrist to check if I was still awake. I half expected to wake up in my dorm on Friday morning after a bizarre yet exciting dream. Fortunately, I'm wrong.

 _What are you doing, idiot? Go lay down!_

It was a relatively short distance from Max's couch to her bed, yet it felt like a long journey. I never thought in a million years that something like this could happen to me. I kick off my shoes softly. I slide onto her bed on my back, awkwardly and stiff. Max didn't care, however, as she lifted her head slightly and put it on my shoulder. She draped her arm over me and her hand fell over my heart, which was beating like crazy. Gently, I pulled the blanket over to cover both of us and I throw my left arm around Max's shoulder holding her to me firmly.

 _Deep breaths, Warren. Holy shit. You're actually cuddling Max._

I take one deep breath. Two. Three. Finally, I start to relax and the adrenaline wears off. I'm beat tired and my eyes are starting to get heavy. I think about what I've been through and what Max told me today, and I'm still reeling. It still makes sense, despite all the conventional logic thrown out of the way. I'm not sure how much I knew about Max before today, but something, some inner wisdom I never knew I had, tells me that everything she says is the absolute truth. It's like that other Warren, the Warren Max mentioned that defended her from Nathan and helped her with that pipe bomb, is telling me, _this is what Max told me too._

I almost fall asleep, but I then I almost gasp out loud as I remember what she said about going to Jefferson's Dark Room. I quickly get my phone out of my pocket and set an alarm for 5:45 in the morning. It's only about 9 p.m. and I'm struggling to keep my eyes open. I understand why Max is so tired, but my only guess is from all the revelations I've heard today has made my mind reel so much it needs rest to comprehend it. _They say the best way to retain information is to sleep right after_. Perhaps that's it. Maybe I just need to catch some z's.

Max shifts slightly beside me. She whispers something, something inaudible and she somehow gets even closer to me. She holds me tighter and grabs a fistful of my shirt. Somehow, she still looks beautiful as she sleeps. Like an angel. _Totally creepy, Warren._ But at this moment, I don't care. I think after all I've heard today, that I think I deserve a moment to contemplate. It's like I'm trapped in some weird _Twilight Zone/Doctor Who_ thing. But I'll disregard all that with the thought that _Max Caulfield is in my arms._ Once again, I find myself blissful. Somehow, in some way, the universe decided that I would be the one to be here for Max. I already liked Max before today, but this feeling…

 _Today, is my favorite day._

I fall asleep in Max's arms.

 **Max:**

The wind is howling. The rain is pounding. It never stops. It never ceases. It's uncontrollable and it's chaotic. It's all because of me. I caused this! I caused all of this!

And there's Chloe… Everything becomes quieter. Everything becomes calmer, clearer. She's walking towards me and extending her arms.

I'm ready. I'm ready to hug her and never let go. But just before I can reach her, someone steps in front of us.

It's Nathan Prescott and he has the gun to Chloe's abdomen. She screams and he fires, killing her.

" _No!"_ I scream and reach my hand out…

And nothing happens. Nathan disappears and Chloe hits the ground. I can't move. I'm rooted to the spot. I scream and I shout but nothing comes out of my mouth. I'm silent. An observer.

 _"Why didn't you help me, Max?"_ Chloe asks, menacingly, before she dissolves.

I try to chase after her, but still, I can't move. She reappears. This time she's firing the gun at the bottles in the junkyard. She turns to me and asks, " _Where should I shoot, Max?"_

I want to scream: " _Don't shoot anything Chloe! Put the gun down and walk away! You'll die!"_

But I don't say that. I hear myself say, " _Shoot the hubcap."_

Chloe aims and fires. I watch in slow motion as the bullet ricochets and strikes her in the chest. She collapses in the ground screaming, _"Max! Rewind, rewind, rewind! Goddammit, rewind!"_

I raise my hand. _Jesus Christ, please make it work! Please!_

And nothing happens.

She dissolves. Is the nightmare finally over?

I'm not even close. She reappears. This time, she's on the train tracks. She's stuck and I'm pulling the lever, trying to free her.

 _"It's not budging, Chloe!"_

 _"Rewind and try again! Please Max! I don't want to die!"_

I raise my hand to try on last time. It's hopeless. The train crushes her. All that's left of Chloe is a bloody smear on the train tracks. The tracks dissolve, and now I'm at the junkyard. Chloe is waving the gun and looking around.

 _"Where? Where?"_

A gun fires at Chloe. I cry out in horror, but this time she doesn't get hit in the forehead like I expect her too, she instead gets shot in the knee. Why is it different? Jefferson killed her. He shot her in the head.

I cry out. My eyes are wet, but I still can't do anything. All I can do is search frantically with my eyes for the person with the gun. Where is he?

 _"Why, Max? What did I ever do to you? All I wanted to do was be your friend! You left me, and I welcomed you back with open arms! Then what do you do? You leave me again! Forever!"_

 _I'm sorry, Chloe!_ I try to shout. But she isn't talking to me. I look to my right, and I see her.

The person holding the gun **is me.**

The Max that's holding the gun looks at Chloe in the eyes and presses the gun to Chloe's head. She looks at the real me in the eyes. I try to reach out to Chloe, and she says, " _Why do you have to be so selfish?"_

I try to lift my hand, but it won't move. I try to open my mouth to tell her I'm sorry, but instead I hear my voice say, " _You deserve this."_ And then, _I start to laugh._

The look on Chloe's face is one of betrayal. One of pure hatred.

 _"You never loved me!"_ I hear it over and over, from every direction. It's all I hear. Over and over and over.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe. I'm so sorry." I feel tears fall down my face.

Chloe appears in front of me and everything goes still. She's holding the gun. She lifts it slowly and points it at my chest. " _You let Nathan shoot me in the heart. Now, I shoot you."_

I want to close my eyes. But instead I see her face. It has that look of pure hatred, of disgust. Then, a hand grabs her wrist. I turn and its Warren. He forces Chloe to put the gun down, and looks me in the eyes. He mouths something I can't hear. Then, I hear him, "Max, get up, please!"

I see him toss water on my face.

 **Max:**

I open my eyes. They're wet and puffy. I had been crying. Warren is holding me tightly with one arm and has his other hand on my cheek. I'm clutching onto him for dear life. Our foreheads are touching and I find myself starring him in the eyes. His eyes are moist like mine. _The wetness I felt in my dream is real. He was crying and trying to wake me._

He's saying something, but it's inaudible. It's white noise. I'm brought back to the other Friday.

 _"For luck,"_ I tell him. I kiss him then. It's a quick kiss. A sad kiss. One that meant so much to me.

But this one means so much more.

 **Warren:**

 _She's kissing me._

 _And it's amazing._

It catches me by surprise, but with today being like it's been, I shouldn't be surprised. After a few shocked seconds, I kiss back. It's intense and it's desperate, haphazard, but it's amazing. My entire body bursts with energy. Heat rose everywhere and I could feel it everywhere. I felt alive, for the very first time. My head felt like it was going to explode with happiness and bliss. It's a live wire. Kissing Max is fireworks in the sky. Ice cream on a hot day. The warm sun on the back of your neck. The smell of flowers. It's all the best things in the world in one moment. She took my breath away and I never want it back.

But I still found the strength, to make her stop.

I gently put my hands on both of her cheeks and I gently pulled away.

"Max, we can't do this."

She looks at me, with hurt in her eyes. "Why?"

"This isn't what you want. I know it. You're upset and I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you. But you're confused; you've been through so much. I just don't think it's what you want," I said, trying poorly to mask the sadness in my voice.

She shook her head and looked at me with tears in her eyes. "No, Warren. I want you. In the other timeline, when I came back to you for the picture, I didn't just hug you. I kissed you before I went to Chloe. I had to. I care so fucking much about you, and I've been too scared to show it. Everything has fallen apart for me. I lost my best friend and my sister. But for some fucking reason, you are always there. No matter what timeline, no matter what shit I put you through, _it's always you._ Whenever I'm with you, you take my breath away. You're my hero, Warren Graham and I need you. I realize now that you never know when you're going to lose something. Life is strange, it won't give you any time to figure things out. I know how I feel about you. I need you. And I need this."

"Max… I…"

"Shut up and kiss me, you dork."

And then we kissed. I don't know how long it went, but we stayed like that, our lips locked and neither of us stopping for breath. We were delirious, we were excited, we were the only two people that existed in the world.

 _And I never wanted it to end._

 **Max:**

I woke up before he did. We were in spooning position. Fully clothed, one arm around my waist and the other arm under my head.

I still couldn't believe what happened last night. But I didn't regret what happened, not a single moment of it. Even if I could rewind, I know I never would. Not for a million years.

 _"So, you finally kissed him."_ Chloe appeared before me wearing her trademark smirk. Just like when we were kids.

 _Yep, just a little._ I said, smiling from the memory.

 _"Well, it's about damn time, Mad Max. And, I see that you're finally starting to smile again. Good to see. I was getting hella scared for you. And you know much I hate getting scared. Gives me anxiety."_

 _I think that's a natural part of being scared, Chloe. Just a little bit._

 _"Cut the shit, smart-ass," She said laughing. "You and I both know what anxiety feels like. Now, that we got the gross lip-locking out of the way, we should get down to bidness. You gotta wake that nerd up and get Jeffershit."_

 _In just a second,_ I thought carefully reaching for my bag I left by my bed. Cautiously to not wake Warren up, I slowly rummaged in my bag until I found my camera.

 _"And here I thought you were done with the selfies To The Max."_

"Whoever said I was done?" I whispered to myself. I lifted the camera at the apropos shot and took the picture. I wanted to capture this moment. The first morning after our first night together. Warren honestly looks so adorable asleep. Much more relaxed. He stirs beside me and I grabbed the Polaroid while looking at the alarm clock beside my bed. _5:39._ The sun was starting to rise and I slowly detached myself from Warren's arm and stretched a little.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," I said, poking at his nose and shaking my new picture. Kissing Warren last night didn't make everything better, after all, I was still hearing Chloe in my head. Plus, I still had a mission to take care of. But at least for the time being, I could be honest with myself and what I wanted. And, I could enjoy this moment while I could.

"Mummosa salmon." I believe he said, as he stirred. In all actuality, he could have just been begging me for 5 more minutes. I took off my jacket, which had become hot on my arms after last night. Funny how I didn't feel embarrassed at all about it.

"Seriously, David Tennant, rise and shine." I opened the blinds and the small amount of sunlight shone through directly onto Warren's eyes.

"Ugh, seriously?" he groaned as he sat up slowly.

"You're cute when you're asleep," I say smiling and sitting on the bed at a comfortable distance.

"You took a picture, didn't you?" he said with a lazy smile.

"Sure did," I said kissing him on the forehead.

"Well, at least it'll last longer," he said swinging his legs and sitting beside me. He looked at me in the eyes seriously for a second before saying in a faux serious voice, "Please tell me I didn't drool on you."

I punched him in the shoulder lightly, "Maybe a little."

"Well, good to know I can be of service," he laughs lightly.

"You're disgusting," I said smiling and we kissed again, this time delicately and loving.

Now I look at him seriously, "We do have to get moving."

Warren sighs and rubs his neck, trying to work out the kinks. "I know. Let me at least brush my teeth and organize myself."

"By all means, my companion," I smirked.

He smiled at me affectionately and good naturedly, getting my limited Dr. Who reference. He disappeared into the bathroom after I told him no girl would be up this early. With some time alone, I sighed deeply. Still, I didn't regret a single thing about last night, but I needed to be focused. And I needed to remind Warren that we need to be focused. I'm sure he'll understand, although I know there's nothing he wants more then to spend the day together.

 _I guess we're both getting our wish in a way._

I sigh, but this time it's one of… happiness? It's a great feeling. A feeling I've never had before. Like a lightness in my chest ***** and a weightlessness throughout my body. He makes me feel… safe. He makes me feel free. Kissing him is like opening my chest and giving the universe the finger. Kissing him is like capturing the perfect picture on the most beautiful day. It was definitely a feeling I could get used to.

 _Focus, Max,_ I remind myself for the umpteenth time.

Then Warren's phone goes off. _I guess it must've fallen from his pocket last night._ I blush as I grab his phone. _Good thinking, setting an alarm for us._ God, I can't resist. I tap the screen and turn off his alarm and it unlocks his phone.

I look at the door. _Set it down, Max. He'll probably be back in any second. What do you need to know anyway? You know how he feels about you._

The temptation was too strong. I need to. I sit down on the couch and swipe through his apps until I find what I'm looking for. I open his photos first, and there aren't many. There's one with him and another girl. A flare of jealousy goes through me, before I see the name of the caption. It says, " _Me and My Sister"._ I feel stupid now, and I quickly scroll past. There's some pics of cats, probably some from his home. There's a couple of memes, some of whom he's sent me to try to make me laugh. There's a rad pic of what looks like a science project, possibly from earlier in the semester. There's one last picture, and it's one of him and I together. My heart skips a beat as I look closer. It's the same one I found in his locker when Chloe and I broke into the pool, and it was edited with a rad looking effect that makes me pop out. It brightens the color of the photo and honestly? It makes me look like an angel. I look beautiful, and I don't mean that in a narcissistic way. From an artistic standpoint, it looks gorgeous.

 _I guess you were right when you said you could add cool special affects to my photos. It looks amazing._

I closed out of his photos before going to his messages. He doesn't have very many when it comes to variety. There's a lot to me, which doesn't surprise me honestly. I look at the ones to Kate, which seem to be frequent. I smile to myself, most of them seem to be about Warren worrying about me. Even some with Warren and her planning to get me the necklace. I make a mental note then to wear it before we leave.

I continue to snoop. There's some text from his sister, and from his contact information, I can tell her name is Penelope. I don't see too much. She, however, is apparently enrolled in Harvard and is in law school. _I guess intelligence runs in the family_. Warren also tells her about a cute girl in some of his classes that he's thinking about asking to the drive-in. I smile with pride at this.

Then, it gets a little upsetting. There's some texts from Brooke. Most of them of the same context. " _Why are you asking, Max? Dude you're obsessed."_

" _She's never going to date you. You're better off going with me."_

" _Sooner or later, you're going to see that Max doesn't like you."_

It does upset me, but it also makes me laugh because of the irony. Though, this is only the start. His texts from his parents are the worst. His mom texted him reprimanding him for his grades. Even though I know from Wells' files he has a 4.0 GPA, she berates him for an A- on a math test. An A-! She tells him over and over he needs to get ready for college, while Warren always has an excuse to do it later.

His dad only left one text. Something that Warren has saved for about a week. _"I wish you were more like your sister."_

Ouch. I never knew how pressuring his parents were. _That's because you never asked, Max. You've always assumed he had it all figured out. All he's ever done is worry about you. You never once asked him if anything was wrong._

I sigh. _Maybe I am selfish._

As I'm looking at his dad's text, I hear the door click and Warren walking in casually murmuring, "Sorry it took so long, I couldn't seem to fin-. What are you up to?"

I try to hide the blush that heats my cheeks as I try to tell a half truth, "Oh, just turning off your alarm."

Warren smiles, and for a second I think I get away with it. Until I see him glance at my alarm clock, which reads _5:48._ "Oh? It took you 3 minutes to turn off my alarm on my phone? You know all you need to do is tap the screen, right? It isn't that hard." He smiles, letting me know that I'm had.

"Okay, okay, Dr. Graham. I admit it, I may have looked through your phone."

"An ordinary person would be pretty upset, Maximus. But I trust you. Although, if you wanted to look through my phone, you could've asked." He said crossing his arms. "It's kind of rude for you to be sneaking through my phone without permission, like you're Sly Cooper or something."

"I'm sorry, Warren." I meant it. I knew I'd be upset if someone went through my phone without asking. And now, I can't rewind to save myself.

Warren considered me for a moment before uncrossing his arms. "I'll forgive you, but on one condition."

"What is th-?" I try to ask. He surprises me by grabbing me, one hand behind my head and one arm around my waist. He pulls me to him and right as I realize what he's doing he kisses me. I smile into his kiss and I run my hands through his hair. He smiles back and puts his hands on my waist. I drop my arms to his shoulders and we kiss for a few more seconds. I open my mouth and we kiss that way, our mouths together and our tongues sliding into place. It feels so natural and so _good_ (not in _that_ way, like a happy, butterflies' way. Okay, maybe in _slightly_ that way), that I let it happen for a little more…

He's the one who breaks it. "Condition fulfilled." He says with a rueful smile.

"It was that easy? I expected something more… Like going to a movie… Or a drive-in of some sort?"

He smiles. It's a knowing smile, he knows what I saw. "I'm assuming that's a yes?"

"Of course, you idiot," I say punching his shoulder. "We'll go in your car. After our mission. We should get going by the way."

"Already ahead of you," he said, taking the keys out of his pocket and showing me. He smiles. It's a smile of reassurance. A smile of determination.

"Then let's go." I move past him and grab the necklace from my backpack and putting it on. We walk silently through the hallways. I stumble over a roll of toilet paper and almost fall before Warren manages to break it.

"Thanks," I whisper, blushing. "I'm clumsy. I'm sorry."

"Well, it's lucky you have me, Maximus Prime. I'm not very coordinated myself. We'll be clumsy together." He puts his hand on the small of my back as we walk onto the grounds. I take his hand and we hold hands until we get to his car. I squeeze it as he opens the car door for me. He kisses me on the cheek, "We're going to stop him Max. You and me."

We get in the car and we drive off. He holds my hand the entire way to prevent me from being lost.

He keeps me grounded.

 **Warren:**

I'm in love with Max.

There's no denying it, not anymore. It sounds stupid, I barely know her a month. But it feels like I've known her my entire life. Maybe it's the multiple versions of me speaking for me, but whenever I look at Max, I see an angel. She's so beautiful in every single way. The way she carries herself, the pictures she takes, the way her voice sounds when she talks to me, the way she cares about everyone, the way she spaces out, the way she dresses, the hipster way she uses the word "Wowser". The way she angles herself when she takes a photo. The way her eyes light up when she talks about photography. The way her hair angles her face. The way she feels when I hold her. The way she kisses, like it's the most important thing in the world, the only thing that matters. Like it's the last one she'll ever have.

I could go on forever. She's amazing in every single way. When she walks into a room, she's the only one that matters. When she says my name, my heart skips a beat. When she laughs, all I feel is euphoria. I want to make her smile all the time, it's the best sight in the world.

These are thoughts I mull over while we drive to the Dark Room. Max is silently stroking my thumb with hers, and for some odd reason, it feels fantastically relaxing. I sneak a glance at her. She seems contemplative and determined. She also seems sad in a way, but it's much less pronounced. The Warren of yesterday probably wouldn't have noticed this, but somehow, I feel like I know her completely, but that doesn't make any sense. I can't even remember her parents' names. If she ever told me.

I resign myself to driving. I'm going to do what I can to help her, even if I'm not entirely sure what that is. She didn't tell me too much about what happened here, probably because she didn't want to talk about it. Or hell, maybe she knew how I'd react. All she said is that Jefferson kidnapped her and that David Madsen rescued her. There were obviously weirder goings on surrounding that, like needing me to give her that picture and etc. but when it comes to the Dark Room my knowledge is limited.

That might be a good thing.

I slowly pull in thanks to Max's directions. She's quiet. I'm not sure what to say to fill the silence. So I stick to the sound of silence.

Max lets go of my hand and we get out of the car. She tells me quietly that I should follow her and she leads me under the yellow _CRIME SCENE_ police tape and into the shed.

It's musty and quiet in here. She leads me to a cellar and guides me down some steps. I don't ask her how she knows the code, based on what she's already told me and we step inside.

Max grabs my hand and I let her take it. I squeeze gently and gain my bearings by looking inside the room and acquiring my first impressions.

My first impression of the room is very… clean. It was obviously sterile. Jefferson was very good at cleanliness.

My second impression was it was very creepy. The cleanliness added to this feeling. It was almost _too_ clean. It also gave the impression of being soundproof. The lack of air and the sense of confinement gave the room a claustrophobic, trapped sense.

I couldn't blame Max for shaking. I may not know many details of what she went through, but I know it was hell. Her breath was shaky and she struggled to compose herself. I decided to be the brave one and I slowly walked into the room. Thankfully, there was a box of latex gloves available. We didn't want to contaminate any evidence. I pointed to Max and she nodded, letting go of my hand and grabbing a pair. I followed suit and grabbed a pair, shoving them onto my hands.

"Let's split up and get out of here as fast as we can," I suggested. Max nodded and went off to investigate. The first thing that caught my eye was the shelf of folders.

 **Max:**

 _I want to break every piece of expensive equipment in this fucking room._ I'm a mixed bag of emotions. It takes everything I have not to break down in anger and grief and frustration right here. It takes everything I have to not break into a million pieces. The only things that keep me from a breakdown is Warren and the unquenchable thirst of vengeance on Jefferson. How could he do this to me? To Rachel? To Kate? Poor, sweet Kate. I look around for something to put him away, but of course in this timeline, I would have never been here.

That doesn't stop me. I look at everything. I even look under the sofa in there and check the camera's memory. There's nothing there. Everything is deleted.

I check for what feels like forever. I get more and more frustrated with every passing second. Every second felt like hours, every minute felt like days.

Just before I knelt to a fetal position to cry in frustration, I hear a familiar voice at the other end of the room say something, "Max? I think I found something."

 **Warren:**

I inspected the folders on Jefferson's shelf. There were a lot of names here and each one made me more disgusted. Rachel, Kate, Lynn, Kelly… There are way too many names here to be Nathan. Unless he started before he was even enrolled, there would be no way…

I spotted a computer over at the far end of the room. I walked over and went on. I signed in as a guest and opened a web browser. I went to the Blackwell website and looked up the alumni. Kelly and Lynn were students from last semester. Nathan was still in school at the time. I looked at some of the other names. The oldest name was from a few years ago, the year Jefferson started at Blackwell. That's a huge red flag.

But it's not enough to put him away. I need more. I start to search through his desk. There's got to be something…

I think I've found something. There's a hidden compartment directly under the desk, but it looks like it has a small code. What could the code be?

"Max, I think I've found something."

I go back to his computer, and I run a Google search on Mark Jefferson. Max comes up to me, shaky. "What is it?"

"There's a secret compartment underneath the desk. There's a code. Crawl under and I'll give you some numbers. It's a 5-number code."

"Okay," she says. She slides underneath the desk.

"Try this: 41175."

"Doesn't work," Max said sounding frustrated.

 _I knew his birthday wouldn't work. That would be too easy. Maybe…_

We then tried multiple codes. The day he graduated college, his first publication, the day he became a teacher. Pretty much everything. Max continued to get frustrated and at one point starting to hit the desk in rage. I calmed her down for a bit. She told me she was going outside for some fresh air.

I was getting frustrated myself. But, there was one thing I haven't tried. I looked at each name on his binders. They seemed to be in some sort of order, though it obviously wasn't alphabetical. Maybe they are organized by date?

I looked at the first one. Deanna. Could it?

I checked the alumni page again. There were two Deannas. I looked at the folder. It was in black in white, but she clearly had an angular face and shorter hair. Deanna Boston had longer hair while Deanna Montgomery had shorter hair and an angular face. I looked back at the binder. There had to be a date…

Yes! There was one. 9-27-2010. Eureka! This might be it.

I laid down on my back and slid backwards and typed in 92710. After a soft _click,_ the door released. I pushed it softly aside, and a small pocket notebook fell out and onto my chest.

I slid back out and walked upstairs and to Max. She was sitting on the hood of my car with her face in her hands.

"Max?" I said awkwardly. She looked up. Her eyes were red, she was crying earlier. She also must've been livid. She ripped up and kicked in the fencing near where we parked.

"Yeah?" she said hesitantly.

"I think I found something. I haven't opened it yet, but it looks like a personal journal from Mark Jefferson."

"Come here." She opened the car door in the back and I climbed in on the other side. We sat close to one another and opened the notebook.

I was right, mostly. It was a personal journal with dates and everything. He talked about using Nathan and the Prescott's fortune, his victims, and his future "models" including Max. I tried, I believe successfully, to keep this from her. But I'm sure she already knew.

There were also statements. He wired some money from the Prescott's bank account and kept the records here. Everything was here. If this wasn't enough to put him away, for _years,_ then I must also be a woman. It seemed like Jefferson's need for control was going to be the death of him.

"This is it, Max! We can put him away for good!"

I expected her to be happy. I expected her to be relieved. I don't know. I guess I wanted her to jump for joy, pump her fist, do something. Maybe I watch too many movies and anime.

And she was happy, somewhat. "That's great, Warren. We can finally put that fucker away." She didn't say this angrily. She sounded depressed. She sounded sad. I didn't know what else to do, so, I put my arms around her.

She let me. We spread out over my backseat and I held her. She closed her eyes tight, probably to prevent herself from crying and she curled up to me.

I gently stroked her back and ran my hand through her hair while she calmed down. Eventually, she nodded into my chest.

"Okay," she said. Her voice was muffled. She took her face out and kissed me lightly on the cheek. "Thank you. Let's get going."

She climbed into the passenger seat and sat down. I climbed after her and gave her the journal. She hesitated slightly before grabbing it and putting it in her bag. I placed my hand on the stick and put it in reverse. She put her hand over mine and I let her lace our fingers. She turned and starred out the window in silence while I drove to the police station. This time the silence was more… respectful. I knew she had a lot on her mind. When she's ready to talk about it, she knows I'll be there. Until then, I know I'm going to be here for her.

Always.

* * *

The asterisk is because that sentence was inspired by one of my favorite songs. If you like rock music, I heavily recommend the song, "Like the Angel" by Rise Against.


	5. Always

Max:

It's been 9 years since we secured Jefferson behind bars. Jefferson was in jail all for about 2 months until his other inmates found out what he was in there for. They knew some of the girls he hurt. He died in prison after a brutal beating.

Warren and I stayed together after that… for about 3 years.

That was my fault. It was hard at first once we graduated. Warren went to college at the University of Washington and I realized I was never meant for college. After putting Jefferson behind bars permanently, I dove head first into photography. I became so lost that sometimes the only way our relationship stayed together was because of him and Skype.

My photography hit megastar status after a gallery showing. Ironically the 4th anniversary of the "Everyday Heroes" contest I never submitted an entry in.

My career took off. I traveled the world with my personal mental guard, Chloe, to a plethora of different places. I went to Beijing, Tokyo, Holland, even a brief stint in the Middle East.

Though this put a heavy strain on Warren and I's relationship. To his credit, he tried more than myself at the long-distance relationship thing. But I ended up losing contact for a while, and when we did speak, it became a huge fight.

I tried to apologize, but for the first time, he stopped answering. He didn't answer my texts or my Skype calls. I thought I knew what it meant, and I didn't try to reach him again.

Still, I was devastated. I tried to fill the hole in my heart with guys. Some of them I don't even remember the name of. I even tried a girl or two. Nobody could replace him, no matter how hard I tried. I missed him, even if I thought he didn't want to do anything to do with me.

I was wrong. I was wrong about a lot of things. Part of the reason he stopped calling me was because of our fight, but it was also because of his sister. She was diagnosed with leukemia about a week before our huge fight.

Warren was forced to transfer to the University of Boston. After a while, he became sick of his parent's pressures and settled for his bachelor's degree. He dropped out of medical school. Once his parents learned he dropped out and didn't want to be a doctor, they disowned him.

Penelope lived on after his parents disowned him for about half a year. Around this time, Warren started his own comic book series, Maximum Time, to raise money for her treatments. He still gives half of the profit from Maximum Time to the American Cancer Society.

Maximum Time, a superhero concept of an early twenties single female getting the ability to freeze time and save alternate universes, ending up becoming hugely popular. It earned enough popularity, that Warren was able own the rights to the characters.

I learned through the magic of Facebook that his sister passed on. This was more or less the icebreaker. I messaged him with my condolences and we got to talking about how we were. It didn't automatically repair everything, and we weren't back together, but it was a start.

Still, I knew I had to make it right. I learned a few months later that he was traveling to San Diego Comic Con. I managed to pull some strings and fly out there on the assumption that I was going to take photos of the San Diego skyline. Really, it was just an excuse. It was my turn to be there for Warren; to make things right.

I saw him at the convention. He and I stepped right back in sync. Like I never left. I felt our connection. It felt like he was the only one in the room. He was busy for a while with signings. He also had associates from both DC and Marvel. They wanted Maximum Time to be a part of their universes. Ultimately, he would choose Marvel, who gave him loyalties plus an offer to make a movie franchise out of Maximum Time.

Because of the chaos, I didn't speak too much to him at the convention. When I left, I tried taking the taxi but some dick dressed as Deadpool stole it. Warren came out and offered to share a taxi. We were going to the same hotel.

We had a long talk then. It was the first time we saw each other physically in a year and a half. He's grown five o'clock shadow which made him seem more manly. He was hot, but I was an emotional mess.

I told him how much I missed him, how much I love him. I told him the only times I'm ever happy are when I'm with him. I told him I was sorry and I meant it.

He told me he was sorry too. He said he felt the same way, and that he didn't blame me. He knew I had to follow my dreams. But it became too hard for him to support me and support his sister at the same time. He just couldn't do it. He just wanted me to be happy, and he thought he knew that the only way that I was truly happy was taking photos and traveling the world.

I told him that taking the photos and travel only made me satisfied. The only time I was ever happy was with him.

He said he felt the same way. He was just tired of feeling like he was the only thing keeping us together. It was too much for him.

I started to cry a little and told him I'm sorry.

"I'll forgive you, on one condition."

He and I smiled and we kissed. The taxi driver, Hansen, started crying himself. He told us with a thick Eastern European accent that we just made his day.

We pulled up into our hotel. We had separate rooms but we both knew I wouldn't be going to my room. We made love for the first time in 19 months, and it was so amazing that we did it a second time. When we finally calmed down, we found ourselves in spooning position again, not so fully clothed.

I gave him some shit for the Maximum Time thing. "How could I not, Max? You're a great character! Besides, you're obviously prettier."

"Oh, shut up. Still, I'm proud of you. Maximum Time, official Marvel character? That's awesome, Warren!"

"You're just saying that because that means she can flirt with Iron Man. Don't you deny it."

"Maybe a little," I say turning to him. "I'm sorry about everything, Warren."

"Max," he said. "I don't care anymore. What's in the past is in the past. What's important now, is that you're here."

"I'm never going to let you go, Warren. Ever. I'm always going to be with you from now on. Always."

"Always?"

"Always," I say kissing him.

That was then. This is now.

"Holy shit, Kate. How am I going to do this? What if he doesn't like it? What if I fall or something?"

Kate finishes putting on my doe necklace and flashes me her angelic smile. She lifts my chin to look her in the eyes. "You look absolutely stunning, Max. He's going to love you in that dress. You aren't going to fall, we've rehearsed this countless times. I'll be right there, cheering you on. So will your mom and your dad, Corey and I, Daniel, even Chloe. You know she's watching and smiling. Did you ever think you'd be here in Arcadia Bay 9 years later getting married to Warren Graham?"

"Not exactly," I say hugging her. "Thank you, Kate. That's exactly what I needed."

"I love you, Max. I gotta go out there, I'll see you sooner rather than later."

I wave bye to Kate and shout that I love her too. She has become an amazing pastor and public speaker today. She goes around the country and even overseas talking about her experiences and teaching kids about the dangers of drugs and bullying. Her and her husband, Corey, have become our family.

My dad comes up to me and kisses me on the forehead. "It's the big day, kiddo. Are you ready?"

"My stomach is a knot of nerves. My heart feels like it's going to explode. Oh, and my calf itches. I'm fantastic."

My dad smiles his heartwarming smile. "Your mom said the exact same thing to your Aunt Virginia 37 years ago. You'll be fine. I believe in you."

"Really? The exact same thing?" I implored, raising my eyebrow.

"Well, it was her ass that itched. But yes, more or less."

I laugh. "Thanks for the laugh, Dad. I needed it."

Dad opens his mouth to speak, but he's cut off by the organ. "It's time." He says this with a smile and takes me by the arm and leads me down the aisle like we plan.

My nerves completely disappear like usual once I see him. He looks so handsome in his Armani tuxedo and aqua blue bow tie. He smiles his smile and my heart soars with happiness.

I think of his proposal. He took me back to the lighthouse, in the middle of the sunset. He scratched in the tree under Max Chloe "Max Warren. Always." He let me take a picture and I carve the three of us. Chloe and Warren's arms around me while I hold a camera out to take a picture of the three of us. Whenever I finish, I turn around and he's on a knee. "Max Caulfield, you have made me the happiest man to ever live. You inspire me in so many ways. I love you. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

And of course, I accepted.

I smile at Warren's best man, Daniel. He's tall, taller than Warren now. He helped Warren out while his sister was sick and I was living in Ireland. He was Warren's illustrator for his first few Maximum Time series (I mean, I already knew he could sketch me). He's still the same shy Daniel I remember from school but without him, I know Warren would never be here. I'm sure this never would've happened. He's become a member of our family.

Kate's husband, Corey, smiles reassuringly at me. He's tall with slightly tan but fair skin, medium length blonde hair and kind grey eyes. He has a pretty, clean shaven smile. He's so nice and handsome and patient. He's perfect for Kate and perfect for our little family.

Then, of course, my maid of honor, Kate. She looks beautiful in her maroon dress. She even has her hair down for this special event and she's literally glowing with happiness. The difference between now and almost a decade ago is startling.

I turn and look at Warren. It's easy to see him in the veil, but up close I can tell he's freshly shaved. He's wearing the exact same cologne he wore on our first date to the drive in. Nice touch.

He lifts my veil slowly and I flash him a smile.

"Wow," he whispers under his breath, "you're so beautiful."

I smile even brighter, if that's even possible. "Speak for yourself, handsome."

We say our vows to one another. Quite frankly, I would repeat them, but they're far too cheesy to even print. But I will say that I meant every word. That I meant it when I said, "I love you, Warren. Always."

And I knew he meant it, when he said the same to me.

I take a moment to think about how we got here. I think of all the misadventures. I think of all the kisses, the arguments, all the travel and heartbreak. All of them led to this moment, and this moment is perfect. I know the future isn't perfect. I still wake up in the middle of the night screaming because of nightmares, but Warren is always there. Sometimes something will remind me of Chloe and I'll break down. Sometimes Warren still misses his parents, and he especially misses his sister. Sometimes we need to travel separately, Warren leaves so he can produce the first Maximum Time movie (in theaters the Summer of 2023!) and I still have photography shoots to go to, but we are never apart for more than 2-3 weeks.

Plus, I'm six weeks pregnant, so that complicates things sometimes. Thank God I'm not showing. We plan on keeping it secret for a while, the only ones who know are Kate and Corey. If it's a girl, we're naming her Chloe. In a selfish way, I hope it is a girl.

Sometimes I wonder what Chloe said. Was it her destiny to die in that bathroom? Was it my destiny to make sure Jefferson stayed in bars? Was it fate that I'd be a photographer? That I'd marry Warren?

Perhaps I'll never know. But if it's true, then I'm at least grateful I have this.

I think about the people who are here today. Joyce, David, Dana, Juliet, Alyssa, Evan, Trevor, Justin, my parents, Daniel, Kate and Corey, hell even Victoria and her posse are here. I would've invited Frank, except in this timeline, he doesn't know me. Hansen, our taxi driver is even here. He's going to drive our limo to the airport where we'll be going to San Diego for our honeymoon. The photography friends I made, Warren's director, staff, and even the stars of Maximum Time, Hannah Connor and Jermaine Grant, are here.

I know that somehow, Warren's sister, Penelope is smiling at us. And I know, with her competitive spirit, smiling even brighter is Chloe.

You did it, Mad Max. Everything you've wanted you're doing. You're even marrying your ape man."

I could not have done any of this without you, Chloe. But this isn't the end, it's a brand-new beginning.

I smile at the thought. I do this right when the priest says, "You may kiss the bride."

We kiss, and everyone cheers. I still feel the butterflies and the spark. It never fades, and I'll make sure it never will.

In the commotion, Warren and I smile at each other. We whisper at the same time, just loud enough for each other to hear. Even Chloe in my head joins in.

"Always."

"Always."

Warren:

"Always."

Hey everyone, I just wanted to say thank you one and all for reading this story. Thank you especially to the ones who favorited it and those who reviewed it. This was my first fan fiction, and it could not have gone better. I know that sometime I'll be doing more Life is Strange, especially stories with Max and Warren. Most likely one or two shots based off this series. Hell, I may even do a one-shot of Maximum Time, you never know.

I know the ending to this story is incredibly cheesy, but damnit these characters deserve happiness don't they?

Holywoodunderfed

"Always"

Disclaimer: I do not own Life is Strange or it's characters or settings. All of these belong to SquareEnix and DONTNOD and their respective affiliates. The only parts that are original are my ideas, writing and dialogue. And the OC character Corey. Thank you.


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